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Marco Berger was born on 8 December 1977 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is a director and writer, known for Absent (2011), The Blonde One (2019) and Taekwondo (2016).- Actor
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Mike Doyle is an actor and director, known for Almost Love (2019), New Amsterdam (2018) and Jersey Boys (2014).- Editor
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Jane Wagner was born on 26 February 1935 in Morristown, Tennessee, USA. She is a writer and producer, known for The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1991), Moment by Moment (1978) and The Lily Tomlin Special (1975). She has been married to Lily Tomlin since 31 December 2013.- Director
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Tom Gustafson is a director/producer whose work has won more than 60 awards & played over 250 international film festivals. The NY Times chose his first feature, Were The World Mine, as "Critics' Pick" calling it "Movie Musical Magic." About his second feature, the NY Times proclaimed, "¡Hurra! Mariachi Gringo is right on pitch." And about his latest musical film, Hello Again, the NY Times proclaimed "The movie musical needs more ambitious creators like this." Tom graduated from Northwestern University and moonlights as an On Location Casting Director on studio projects.- Actor
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Matthew Montgomery is a writer, director, producer, and actor whose career began in 2002 when he starred in Gone, But Not Forgotten, an LGBT film which played in over thirty film festivals around the world and was the "Top Ten Best Seller" for TLA Video for 2003 and 2004. He later went on to star in and produce several independent features when he teamed up with Guest House Films.
In 2008, Matthew starred in the psychological thriller, Pornography: A Thriller, as well as the award-winning gay indie drama, Redwoods. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Artistic Achievement award for acting and producing from Philadephia's QFest.
After completing his M.F.A. in film production at the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts, Matthew went on to develop a psychological thriller, Devil's Path, which marked his directorial debut in 2018.- Script and Continuity Department
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Bevan Lee was born in Western Australia, Australia. He is known for A Place to Call Home (2013), Winners & Losers (2011) and Home and Away (1988).- Director
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Writer, producer, director Jeff London grew up in a small town outside Bakersfield, California, called Shafter. Later his family moved to Covina, California, where he attended school. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, Jeff moved a lot as a boy, never having the same friends to grow up with. He can recall at least 35 different moves in his life. Other than location work, he prefers to stay home these days.
In 2001 Jeff formed Guardian Pictures Entertainment, a truly independent production company, creating movies with feel-good themes that make a difference in lives. He's done all types of movies, from drama to romance-even a chiller.
Jeff's interest in filmmaking started at the age of twelve. Each chance he could, he would go into the mall bookstore and read through one certain book about filmmaking. Jeff was raised in a low-medium income family and his weekly allowance of $1 would not allow him to buy the $30 hardback book he so desired. After six months of saving, working for extra money, and holding yard sales, he finally got the cash. He was hooked on making movies.
Keeping his desire, he continued on through school, helping in theater and the video department in high school. The family did not have the money to send him to film school, so once again life took a different road. Jeff found he also had an interest in motion picture special effects makeup and jumped at the chance to go to makeup school. But guess what, the $5000 price tag was not in the cards.
Years passed and Jeff finally made it to the Joe Blasco Makeup Center in Hollywood, garnering high praise only after three weeks by being offered a key makeup artist position on a short film for 20th Century Fox. In just three days he learned two things. Check your attitude at the door, and work as a team player. Jeff did freelance makeup for eight years on various features and commercials, finally deciding he wanted to make the movies.
After having read a lot of scripts, none that he liked, he finally sat down and wrote his first short film about a family's teen son who is dealing with hidden issues and the older bigoted brother. The older brother sees a glimpse into the future of how his own words caused his younger brother to take his life.
Shooting the three day production on a mere $1500, he did his best and hoped to make a feature later on. His local community college teacher mentioned to him one day that he should consider submitting the film to the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Student short film awards. The teacher said, "You're going to win us our second award for the college," but Jeff just passed it off as a nice thing to say.
About a month later, the phone rang. Jeff had won the only Best Drama award for producing/directing in his region, included all competing colleges and film schools from the entire Northwest region, including San Francisco, Washington, Oregon, and all the way to South Dakota. What an amazing change in Jeff's life.
Jeff continues to write and develop new ideas. He also has plans to write a series of family-holiday books. In his free time he enjoys his desert life in Northwest Arizona.- Writer
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Charlie David is a producer/director with his company Border2Border Entertainment which produces and promotes a unique brand of award-winning, critically acclaimed film, television and digital projects for diverse, under-served audiences made by people with marginalized lived experience - 2SLGBTQIA+, women, BIPOC and people with disabilities as key participants in what Border2Border Entertainment creates and distributes.
The scripted comedies and documentary series Charlie produces have won a Golden Sheaf Award, eight Telly awards, and been nominated for eleven Canadian Screen Awards.
Charlie serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee with the Canadian Media Producers Association, volunteers on the board for Webseries Canada and as a national coach through the Independent Production Fund, is a business mentor through the Futures Forward program with Ontario Creates and the Canada Media Fund and has served as adjudicator of film festivals and funding programs with Creative Saskatchewan, LA Film Fest, New Zealand Webfest, Toronto Inside Out and TO Webfest.
Border2Border Entertainment is a certified supplier and member of the Canadian Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television, the Canadian Media Producers Association and a signatory producer with ACTRA.- Producer
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Sven J. Matten was born on 14 June 1974 in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. He is a producer and director, known for Steel (2015), Off Shore (2011) and Lost Kruger Gold.- Actor
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Ben Lewis is a Canadian actor known for his role as the adult version of William Clayton in the last two seasons of Arrow.
One of his earliest roles was in a guest starring role as Teddy Jones Jr., a ranch hand who kills his father's murderers, on Murdoch Mysteries in 2009, but his biggest roles came in mid-2010 when he had a small role as Other Scott in the film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and played Bobby Beckonridge in the tenth season of Degrassi: The Next Generation; in July 2010 he said that they were the biggest roles of his career up to that point.
In 2020 Lewis starred opposite his real-life husband Blake Lee in the romantic comedy television film The Christmas Setup.
He has also written and directed short films, including Apart from Everything and Zero Recognition, and wrote for the web series This Week Had Me Like.- Casting Department
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Born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Michael Saul began making films as a teenager in the 1970s.
A pioneer in the early 1980's LGBT and Indie film movements, he began working in the San Francisco Bay area as a video artist. Producing a series of experimental films with beautiful musical accompaniment provided by electronic composer Steven M. Miller, Michael found success in film festivals around the world.
In 1991, he began working in Los Angeles and continued producing short films including "Hover", his erotic, gay, vampire thriller that premiered at Los Angeles Outfest and screened at many other film festivals worldwide.
In 2002 Michael began directing his first feature film "True Love" which was released in 2004, followed by "Crush" in 2009. He also directed the award-winning shorts, "Go Go Reject" and "Adults Only", both written, produced and starring Heath Daniels; and his full-length feature film "The Surface" (2015) which had it's world premiere at Frameline San Francisco.
In 2015 Michael began directing and animating work for interactive, VR, Fulldome and other immersive technologies.
Michael lives in Los Angeles where he is also an accomplished painter.- Actor
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Kit Williamson is an actor, filmmaker and internet person, best known for playing Ed Gifford on the final two seasons of AMC's Mad Men. He is the creator and star of the Emmy-nominated web series EastSiders, which is now streaming worldwide on Netflix, translated into more than two dozen languages. The series is also distributed on DVD and VOD through Wolfe Video, and has brokered additional distribution deals with Amazon, Hulu, Fullscreen, Logo and Canal 22 in Mexico.
He is the recipient of numerous scholarships, fellowships and awards for his work, including 6 Daytime Emmy Nominations (for outstanding digital daytime drama series, outstanding writing and outstanding directing), The Vanguard Award from OutSHINE Film Fest, The LA Weekly Award for Best Web Drama (EastSiders) and Best Web Comedy (Hipsterhood), a Satellite Award Nomination and The Playwrights First Award.
Kit is an alumnus of the Sundance Lab and has written projects for CBS, Legendary Entertainment, A&E Studios and MTV Studios. His work has screened at numerous festivals including Outfest, Newfest, Inside Out Toronto, SeriesFest, Reeling Chicago and Palm Springs Cinema Diverse.
Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, Kit left home to study acting and creative writing at Interlochen Arts Academy when he was sixteen. Kit began his career on Broadway in the Tony-nominated revival of Talk Radio while a Junior at Fordham University and went on to receive his MFA in playwriting from UCLA. As an actor, he has appeared in episodes of The Good Wife, Odd Mom Out, Public Morals, Numb3rs, Bosch, the Lifetime movies Anatomy of Deception and The Sinister Surrogate, the NBC Universal movie Ana Maria in Novela Land and the independent features Retake (Frameline), Kiss Me, Kill Me (Reeling Chicago) and Best Friends Forever (Slamdance). He also produced and starred in two seasons of the LA Weekly Award winning web series Hipsterhood. Most recently he can be seen in the indie feature 12 Hour Shift, which premiered at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival.- Director
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Stephen Cone is a South Carolina-raised, Chicago-based filmmaker whose film Princess Cyd was named one of the best movies of the decade by Vanity Fair, and who has received recent early career retrospectives on the Criterion Channel, MUBI and at the Museum of the Moving Image, Berlin's Unknown Pleasures Festival and Manchester's Bigger Than Life. Princess Cyd also appeared on multiple Best of 2017 lists including IndieWire, Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vox and NPR and screened at dozens of festivals worldwide including the BFI London Film Festival, BAMcinemaFest, Frameline and Maryland Film Festival. It was acquired for distribution by Wolfe Releasing and is now streaming on Hulu. Previously, his film Henry Gamble's Birthday Party, also streaming on Hulu, was featured in The New York Times "Anatomy of a Scene" series, screened within BAMcinemaFest and BFI Flare, and was the winner of the Silver Q Hugo Award at the 2015 Chicago International Film Festival. His film The Wise Kids won the Outfest Grand Jury Awards for US Feature and Screenwriting in 2011 and was a New York Times Critics Pick.
Stephen's sister Christina Cone Doherty lives in Nashville and fronts the band Frances Cone.- Producer
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Alexander Roman is known for Reflections of the Past (2010), I AM A SPY: Sofia (ASMR) (2022) and I Am A Spy: Istanbul (2018).- Director
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Brian Pelletier is known for Fishnet (2010), Monster in the Closet (2013) and Flying High with Charlie (2015).- Actor
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Adam Fried is an actor and writer living in Los Angeles. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he was raised in Dayton, Ohio by his parents Bill and Claudia Fried, with his sister, Melissa. As an actor, Adam began performing with The Muse Machine in Dayton, Ohio (under the direction of Nat Horne) before obtaining his BA in Musical Theatre from Ball State University. Adam's first professional break was performing at the Barn Theatre in Augusta, Michigan (a theatre who boasts the alumni of Jennifer Garner, Lauren Graham and Tom Wopat). After performing regionally and two national tours, Adam worked as an actor in New York City for several years before moving to California to work in Film and Television as both an actor and writer.- Actor
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The most internationally acclaimed Spanish filmmaker since Luis Buñuel was born in a small town (Calzada de Calatrava) in the impoverished Spanish region of La Mancha. He arrived in Madrid in 1968, and survived by selling used items in the flea-market called El Rastro. Almodóvar couldn't study filmmaking because he didn't have the money to afford it. Besides, the filmmaking schools were closed in early 70s by Franco's government. Instead, he found a job in the Spanish phone company and saved his salary to buy a Super 8 camera. From 1972 to 1978, he devoted himself to make short films with the help of of his friends. The "premieres" of those early films were famous in the rapidly growing world of the Spanish counter-culture. In few years, Almodóvar became a star of "La Movida", the pop cultural movement of late 70s Madrid. His first feature film, Pepi, Luci, Bom and Other Girls Like Mom (1980), was made in 16 mm and blown-up to 35 mm for public release. In 1987, he and his brother Agustín Almodóvar established their own production company: El Deseo, S. A. The "Almodóvar phenomenon" has reached all over the world, making his films very popular in many countries.- Producer
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Shawn Ryan is known for Famous in Love (2017), Bones (2005) and Charlie (2015). He has been married to John Ainsworth since 13 May 2006.- Producer
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John Ainsworth was born in the USA. He is a producer and director, known for Blake's 7: The Classic Adventures (2013), Randy (2016) and The Risen (2018). He has been married to Shawn Ryan since 13 May 2006.- Actor
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Jason Shepard was born on 20 May 1980 in Livonia, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and writer, known for Inferno (2016), Don't Breathe (2016) and Bob (2017).- Actor
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Jesse Archer was born on 30 June 1977 in Taiwan, Republic of China. He is an actor and producer, known for A Four Letter Word (2007), Violet Tendencies (2010) and Half-Share (2011).- Additional Crew
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Matthew is a Brooklyn-based filmmaker. His short film Dirty premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival and will screen at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. His short film Lavender was acquired for distribution by Fox Searchlight and screened at the 2019 Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals. His short film The Mess He Made screened at the 2017 SXSW Film Festival and was nominated for the Iris Prize.
Matthew is a 2018 Sundance Ignite Fellow, a member of the 2017 New York Film Festival Artist Academy and a 2018 Creative Culture Fellow at the Jacob Burns Film Center. He was selected as one of Filmmaker Magazine's 2019 25 New Faces of Independent Film and as one of Indiewire's 25 LGBTQ Filmmakers On The Rise. He is developing his first feature film.- Director
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Shaz Bennett's debut feature film "Alaska is a Drag", that she wrote & directed was highlighted as one to watch in Vogue, Filmmaker and OUT magazine. Winning best feature film and Jury awards for Best Director at New Filmmakers LA, Leeds, Chattanooga, Urbanworld and the Smithsonian African American Film Festival among others. Shaz Bennett was one of eight women selected into the prestigious AFI Directing Workshop for Women and winner of the New York Women in Film & Television's Nancy Malone Award.
Bennett's first television writing job was on "The Glades" on A&E. She later joined the writing team for "UnREAL" on Lifetime and produced the popular spin off "The Faith Diaries". Shaz writes on the police procedural "Bosch" on Amazon and directed on Ava Duvernay's "Queen Sugar" on the Oprah Winfrey Network, and directed episodes of "Billions" on Showtime and "Animal Kingdom" on TNT and "Bosch" on Amazon.- Director
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Branden Blinn is a content creator who has written, directed, and produced over 30 short films and episodic web form content, most of it for YouTube. His YouTube channel has garnered over 100,000 subscribers and over 40,000,000 worldwide views, mostly by word of mouth and without advertising. When asked what the secret was to his success Branden replied; "It's simple, we produce honest, compelling, high-quality content geared toward an audience few creatives cater to but we care deeply about.- Director
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Jonathan David Bennett was born in Rossford, Ohio, to RuthAnne (Mason) and Dr. David Paul Bennett. He headed straight to New York to pursue acting after graduating from the theater program at Otterbein. He was actually discovered by an agent while sitting on a train. Six months later he signed on to the iconic soap opera "All My Children," playing J.R. Chandler. Since then Jonathan's career has been on fire. He has appeared in a slew of teen comedies, side-by-side with some of the biggest and brightest stars of their time including; "Cheaper by the Dozen 2" (with Steve Martin) and "Lovewrecked" (with Amanda Bynes). He also stepped into and took over the iconic role replacing Ryan Reynolds as Van Wilder in "Van Wilder: Freshman Year."- Writer
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Gregg Araki was born on 17 December 1959 in Los Angeles, California, USA. He is a writer and director, known for Mysterious Skin (2004), White Bird in a Blizzard (2014) and Kaboom (2010).- Director
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Mazen Khaled is a Lebanese screenwriter and filmmaker based in the USA. He is best known for his feature Martyr, which was nominated for the Queer Lion at the 74th Venice International Film Festival, and his short A Very Dangerous Man, which was nominated for the Muhr Awards at the 2012 Dubai International Film Festival. Khaled was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon, and has lived in Washington DC, Montreal, Dubai, and London.- Producer
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David Kittredge was born on 4 April 1972 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He is a producer and editor, known for Pornography: A Thriller (2009), 54 (1998) and Target Audience (2002).- Actor
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After graduating with a BA in Drama from Binghamton University in NY, studying under Julliard professor Gene Lesser, Adam Huss moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career doing what he loves most, acting in film and television, where he landed the series regular role of Joshua Kantos on the hit STARZ show, "Power". Adam has also starred on shows such as "General Hospital", NBC's "Ironside", "CSI:NY", "NCIS", "NCIS: LA", "LAS VEGAS" and more. He can be seen in the feature films,"Famously Normal", "Family Friends", "Wannabe:All Washed Up", "Fighting For her Family" and "Painkillers" to name a few. His resume also includes playing the lead role in the recent movies "Witness Unprotected", "Fiancé Killer", "Another Mother" and "Secrets In The Air". His other features include "Insight", "Ernesto's Manifesto", "Paradox", "Still Waiting In The Wings", "Is It Just Me?", "Wrestle Maniac", and "Resurrection County".
More recently, he formed a production company, Molecule Productions, with his partner Adam Bucci and they are in development on the elevated horror TV series, "Let It Kill You" and the coming of age high school feature length comedy, "Original Tru", that Huss also wrote and created. He also wrote and produced the short films, "High Stakes" which won the M. Night Shyamalan Vote By Night contest, "Let It Kill You" and "Strangers In The Night". Molecule Productions' mission statement is to tell exciting, ground breaking, out of the box, heart fueled stories in all genres that can literally change the molecules in the room upon viewing!- Actor
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Connor Jessup was born in Toronto, Canada. Acting since the age of eleven, he is best known for his roles in Netflix's fantasy series Locke & Key (2020) and in the Emmy-winning ABC drama American Crime (2015). Other notable roles include acclaimed performances in the independent films Blackbird (2012) and Closet Monster (2015).
Jessup is also a writer, director and producer. He directed the documentary A.W. A Portrait of Apichatpong Weerasethakul (2018) for the Criterion Collection, and has written and directed several shorts -- including Boy (2015) and Lira's Forest (2017). He runs a production company, Big & Quiet Pictures, with producer Ashley Shields-Muir.- Writer
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Reid Waterer is a veteran of 270+ film festivals on 6 continents with his award-winning films. His work has been released commercially on DVD or TV in 15 different countries. A graduate of U.S.C. Film School, he began his career with a brief stint working for Peter Bogdanovich before moving into editing movie advertising trailers and TV spots. Among the films and TV shows he's created ads for are THE HANGOVER, MAMMA MIA!, SULLY, GRACE & FRANKIE, BASKETS, and IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA.
His films have achieved acclaim in print reviews, on the festival circuit, on multiple internationally successful DVDs, and online (with 10 million+ YouTube views). Among the many prestigious festivals that have screened his work are the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Provincetown International Film Festival, Miami International Short Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival, London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, Los Angeles Outfest, and Frameline San Francisco. He was a nominee for the £25,000 Iris Prize, and winner of over a dozen Best Short jury and audience awards so far. He's also placed highly in several screenwriting competitions. Among many favorable reviews, one newspaper labeled him "a talent to watch". Waterer lives in Palm Springs, California.- Actor
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Gage Oxley is predominantly a writer/director, as well as a freelance film programmer, and the managing director of Oxygen Films: a multi-award winning, non-profit, community-interest production company based in Leeds. Gage's role involves working with international charities, young creatives and LGBTQ* organisations around the world to create challenging motion pictures that facilitate and encourage open discussion on some of the most difficult aspects of a modern LGBTQ* community.
Their latest feature film had its World Premiere in Leicester Square and US Premiere a stone's throw away from the Hollywood Sign, and recently released a queer six-part hit anthology show, which reached over 8.4million households in its first year on Amazon Prime UK and US. Gage is also the current recipient of the first Virgin Money Change Makers Fellowship, awarded for their work as part of Oxygen Films.- Director
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James Duff was born on 3 September 1955 in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for The Closer (2005), Major Crimes (2012) and Star Trek: Picard (2020). He has been married to Phillip P. Keene since 2013.- Producer
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Mike Mosallam is a producer, director, writer for theatre, film and television. Through his production company, Mike Mosallam Productions, he and his team produced short films: Breaking Fast (Cannes Film Festival) and Brothers (12-time Jury & Audience Award Winner), both written and directed by Mike, along with the award winning short film "Ubuntu," a co-production with the Muslim Public Affairs Council. His feature film debut, Breaking Fast (based on the short), had its Los Angeles premiere at Outfest Fusion, and holds a 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. After playing more than 70+ festivals worldwide and winning major awards, it was acquired for distribution by Vertical Entertainment and released on Hulu, Apple TV, iTunes, Amazon, and anywhere else you can buy or rent movies on demand. He is the creator and Co-Executive-Producer of the critically acclaimed TLC series, All-American Muslim. Most recently, Mike was an Executive Creative Consultant on Season 2 of Hulu's Ramy (episode 9). He is a proud Muslim, Lebanese American. Mike is represented by The Gersh Agency, Echo Lake Entertainment, and Granderson Des Rochers, LLP.- Director
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Jerry Carlsson was born in Piteå, a town in the north of Sweden. He graduated from Valand Academy in 2014, as a Director & Producer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Independent Filmmaking. He has also studied Art History at Stockholm University and Basic Filmmaking at Dramatiska Institutet in Stockholm. Jerry finished his Master of Fine Arts in Film at Valand Academy in 2015.
His award winning short films have been screened in numerous international film festivals, including Locarno Film Festival and Tribeca Film Festival. Jerry is one of the founders of the film collective and production company Tjockishjärta Film.
In 2015 Jerry founded the production company Verket Produktion together with Anette Sidor. Jerry was also selected to be a part of European Film Promotions programme "FUTURE FRAMES: Ten filmmakers to follow" at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The same year he also participated at Berlinale Talent Campus.
In 2016 Jerry Carlsson was selected for STHLM Debut and got the Carl Larsson Grez-sur-loing scholarship.- Producer
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Marc Saltarelli is known for Studio One Forever (2023), Remember to Breathe (2013) and Pride (2011).- Actor
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Pau Masó was born in Girona, Girona, Catalonia, Spain as Pau Masó Coromina. He is an actor, writer, director and producer. Known as a "self-made man", he is hard working, dedicated and persevering. To date, Pau has appeared in different productions, including Aleksandr's Price (2013) and The Art of Losing (2015).- Actor
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A Renaissance Man in the truest sense, Jeff Willy brings a unique blend of talents in both arts and science to his work in entertainment and as a filmmaker. His professional background combined with an entrepreneurial spirit has allowed him to excel at a variety of roles from acting and producing to medical research. Most recently, Jeff established his own media company, Fourth Wall Entertainment, under which he wrote, produced, directed and acted in several thoughtful and relatable films giving voice to a previously underrepresented population. Almost immediately upon entering the industry, he garnered dozens of accolades for his achievements in short film, screenplay development, production, LGBTQ+ film contributions, acting and more. He is currently working to complete his first full feature film, Reveal, a movie about LGBTQ+ relationships and coming out. The universal themes within the script will appeal to audiences of all ages and orientations with relatable characters and realistic scenarios.
Since his high school days, Jeff has always loved music and performance. He takes much pride in having performed at Carnegie Hall multiple times and leading multiple drumlines to state and national championships. Jeff earned a music degree in percussion from the Eastman School of Music and continues to teach high school students in his free time. But when it came time to choose a career path, Jeff took a different route, focusing on science to help others. Unique among many in entertainment, Jeff Willy is a Ph.D. with more than 15 years of experience as a Research Fellow in Toxicology at Vertex Pharmaceuticals in San Diego. He received his doctoral degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) where he continues to hold an adjunct faculty position and serve as graduate student advisor. Jeff spent over a decade working at Eli Lilly & Co. where he ran a lab and played an instrumental role within an International Consortia working with large pharmaceutical companies and academic scientists.
Jeff has been recognized for his scientific achievements with several awards, including the 2016 Midwest Chapter of SOT Young Investigator Award, a 2016 MBSS SOT Research Award, 2015 Eli Lilly Innovator Award, 2015 AASLD Basic Science Young Investigator Award, and 2009 John L. Emmerson Award for Scientific Excellence at Eli Lilly.
In harmony with the positive impact he's made through science, Jeff hopes he can make an equally positive impact through art. He understands on a deep level how many people struggle with coming out to their families, friends and even co-workers. One of his main objectives with Fourth Wall is to create a medium where members of the LGBTQ+ community can connect and share stories.
Jeff Willy was born and raised in in Indiana and currently lives in Southern California. He shares his home with two dogs and loves running and traveling in his free time.- Producer
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Michael Billy is an American Film & Television Producer, Film Actor, Comedian and national TV Personality. Billy is the Executive Producer and Star of the new Reality Competition Television Series "The NEXT American Gay" (Sweden, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Canada, South Africa 2013). Billy produced and co-starred in the feature film "The One" (2011) and plays himself in the upcoming comedy "Bad Parents." (2013) Michael, along with business partner Jarl Haugedal own NYC-JC Guest Suites, a boutique luxury hotel, Humanity Pride Productions- a film and television production company and JB Talent Management. Billy and Jarl are also co-owners of production houses Greenlight Films and REEL3
Today,Michael can be seen as a regular guest on Showbiz Tonight on HLN and on the big screen in the movies "The Jersey Devil" "The One" and "Bad Parents." As a trained radio and television broadcaster, Michael has spent over a decade on national Radio, Television, professional stage, and cinema screen. Billy and Jarl own and oversee 7 international companies spanning from real estate, Boutique Hotel, Production Companies, Talent Management to National Beauty Pageant Competitions. Billy continues to be a regular on prime time and late night television shows providing commentary on Entertainment and major cases. Billy and his business partner Jarl run their multiple entities from their office in downtown Jersey City. The creative duo continue to be heavily involved in the Development of Jersey City.- Actor
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Darren Brade was born on September 29th 1970 in the historic city of Leicester, England. He did not discover his love for photography until shortly after moving to London in 1999 after buying his first digital camera.
Photography, combined with his love for everything cinema has led Darren to produce stills on multiple shorts and full featured films.- Editorial Department
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Gus Green Van Sant Jr. is an American filmmaker, painter, screenwriter, photographer and musician from Louisville, Kentucky who is known for directing films such as Good Will Hunting, the 1998 remake of Psycho, Gerry, Elephant, My Own Private Idaho, To Die For, Milk, Last Days, Finding Forrester, Promised Land, Drugstore Cowboy and Mala Noche.- Director
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Dawid Ullgren is known for Crash and Burn, Honey (2019), Land of the Free (2020) and Mr. Sugar Daddy (2016).- Director
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Mark Bessenger is known for The Last Straight Man (2014), Confessions (2016) and Fiendish Things (2016).- Writer
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Julián Hernández was born on 9 January 1973 in Mexico, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He is a writer and director, known for A Thousand Clouds of Peace (2003), Long Sleepless Nights (2000) and Dos entre muchos (2022).- Director
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Thom Fitzgerald: Since his 1997 feature debut, Thom has won over two dozen international awards including the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television Award (Genie), The FIPRESCI European International Critics' Prize, The Emerging Master Award at the Seattle International Film Festival, and the Reader Jury of the "Siegessäule" Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. He won both the Best Canadian Film Award and the People's Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. Thom is a three time premiere guest of The Sundance Film Festival, and has been lauded abroad with the City of Grandola Prize at the Troia Film Festival in Portugal, and the Best Screenplay Prize at the Mar del Plat Film Festival in Argentina. He was awarded both the Best Screenplay Award and the Most Popular Film Award at the Vancouver International Film Festival. Thom was cited as "One of the top 100 filmmakers in the world" by Screen International and "One of the Top Ten of the Next Generation" by the Hollywood Reporter. Thom was nominated for The Directors Guild of Canada Award and won the Best Director Award at the Atlantic Film Festival for "3 Needles". In 2012 Thom was awarded the prestigious Portia White Prize which is the highest honor awarded to an artist by the government of Nova Scotia recognizing artistic excellence. For his theatre work he won the Merritt Award for Best New Play (CLOUDBURST) and was nominated for Outstanding Set Design. CLOUDBURST was also nominated as Outstanding Production of 2010.- Writer
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Roberto Pérez Toledo was born on 3 April 1978 in Arrecife, Lanzarote, Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain. He was a writer and director, known for 6 Points About Emma (2011), Lugares a los que nunca hemos ido (2022) and Los amigos raros (2014). He died on 31 January 2022 in Madrid, Madrid, Spain.- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Ori Aharon is known for Rubber Dolphin (2018), The Israeli Boys (2020) and The Fall of Zipporah (2013).- Actor
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- Producer
Denis Patrick Seamus O'Hare is an American actor, singer, and author noted for his award-winning performances in the plays Take Me Out and Sweet Charity, as well as portraying vampire king Russell Edgington on HBO's fantasy series True Blood. He is also known for his supporting roles in such films as Charlie Wilson's War, Milk, Changeling, and Dallas Buyers Club. In 2011, he starred as Larry Harvey in the first season of the FX anthology series American Horror Story, for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie in 2012. He returned to the show in 2013, playing Spalding in American Horror Story: Coven and once more as Stanley in American Horror Story: Freak Show, the latter for which he earned a second Primetime Emmy Award nomination. For his performance in American Horror Story: Hotel as Liz Taylor, O'Hare received critical acclaim.- Actor
- Producer
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Joel Edgerton was born on June 23, 1974 in Blacktown, New South Wales, Australia, to Marianne (van Dort) and Michael Edgerton, who is a solicitor and property developer. His brother is filmmaker Nash Edgerton. His mother is a Dutch immigrant. Joel went to Hills Grammar School in the Western Suburbs of Sydney, and after leaving, he attended Nepean Drama School in 1994. Joel has done many projects on stage and off, but most people will recognize him from his work on the Australian television series The Secret Life of Us (2001), in which he played William McGill. This gave him his first big break through in the television industry. For this role, he was nominated in 2001 for an AFI Award. As well as "The Secret Life of Us", he has also appeared in other television projects such as The Three Stooges (2000), Dossa and Joe (2002), Secret Men's Business (1999), Never Tell Me Never (1998) and Saturn's Return (2001). Joel has done a lot of work on the theatrical stage having played King Henry in "Henry V", Prince Hal in "Henry III", and others including "Road", "Third World Blues" and "Dead White Males". As well as acting, he has also starred, co-written and produced the short movie Bloodlock (1998).
His first international break came from when he played Uncle Owen Lars in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002). Since then, he has also starred in Ned Kelly (2003), King Arthur (2004), Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) and Kinky Boots (2005).- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Daniel Talbott is a writer, director, actor, and a Lucille Lortel Award winning theater producer. He's a writer on the second season of 'The Conners' on ABC; was a writer for Weinstein Company and Spike TV on 'The Mist', based on the Stephen King novella; and his hour-long drama pilot 'Summer' was optioned and in development with Sonar and Killer Films. His television series 'Rome, Georgia' was purchased by Wiip Television, and he is in development with Jim Parsons' company That's Wonderful Productions for a feature, 'Yosemite'. He is on the lit team of Rattlestick Playwrights Theater and is the artistic director of Rising Phoenix Rep. He most recently directed the Off-Broadway premiere of Jessica Dickey's 'The Convent', and his plays include 'Nick and Zoe' (Arctic Group/IRT), 'Slipping' (Rattlestick, The Side Project), 'Yosemite' (Rattlestick), 'Afghanistan, Zimbabwe, America, Kuwait' (Rattlestick/piece by piece, Encore), 'What Happened When' (Rattlestick, Rising Phoenix Rep/Echo Theater Company), 'Someone Brought Me' (Quince Productions), 'Mike and Seth' (Quince, Encore, The Side Project), 'Extraordinary Things' (RPR), and 'Gray' (Your Name Here). Other directing work includes 'Ugly Little Sister' (NYU), 'First Born' (The Actors Studio), 'Thieves' (Weathervane/RPR/Rattlestick), 'F**king Immaculate' (RPR), 'A Fable' (Rattlestick), 'Scarcity' (Rattlestick/Hill Town Plays), 'Lake Water' (Neighborhood Productions), 'Eightythree Down' (Hard Sparks), 'Much Ado About Nothing' (Boomerang), and 'Squealer' (Lesser America). He is co-writing a new play with Lucy Thurber titled 'The Land of Ghosts' and was recently commissioned by Echo Theater Company for their 2020 season, and is creating, co-writing and directing the 'Confession Project'. He received a 2011 Theater Hall of Fame Fellowship and was named one of 15 People of the Year by nytheatre.com. He is a graduate of Juilliard, a member of Echo Theater Company, and a member of the Actors Studio.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Patrik-Ian Polk (Director, Writer, Producer), attended Brandeis University in Massachusetts and received his undergraduate degree in film and theatre from the University of Southern Mississippi in his hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He then attended graduate film school at the prestigious University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television, where he wrote and directed a number of short films. After a brief stint as a producer's assistant on Amblin Entertainment's television series, "SeaQuest,DSV," Polk was hired as a development executive at MTV's then-new Paramount-based feature film division, MTV Films. Polk actively participated in the development of such productions as the hugely successful "Beavis and Butthead Do America" and the critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated high school dark comedy "Election."
Next, Polk served as Vice President of production and development at Tracey and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds' Edmonds Entertainment/e2 filmworks. During his tenure there, Polk worked on the films, "Soul Food," "Hav Plenty," and "Light It Up."
Polk made his feature film directorial debut with "Punks," an independent feature that he also wrote and produced. Often described as a male "Waiting to Exhale," "Punks" was produced by Tracey and Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and had its world premiere in January 2000 at the Sundance Film Festival, as part of its prestigious American Spectrum series. The film delighted audiences, picked up many awards at festivals around the world and was released theatrically in November 2001. In New York City, the film played at the Quad to sold-out screenings and lines around the block. "Punks" was nominated for a 2002 Independent Spirit Award for Best low-budget feature.
In 2006, Polk made his first foray into television with the original comedy-drama series "Noah's Arc". Often described as a gay male "Sex and the City", the show centers around four black gay men in Los Angeles and was the first scripted series for the MTV/Viacom gay & lesbian themed cable network, Logo, which launched in June 2005. After its premiere, "Noah's Arc" quickly became Logo's highest rated series garnering a passionate fan base that crosses all demographics. In addition to creating and executive producing the series, Polk wrote and directed all nine of the first season's episodes. The first and second seasons of "Noah's Arc" are available on dvd in stores now and also available for download on iTunes and other on-line download services. With the two seasons fast approaching online and dvd sales of 100,000 units and recent airings on Viacom sister network BETJ, the popular series is now poised to make the transition onto the big screen this fall as the raucous and heart-warming feature film, "Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom"- written, directed and produced by Polk. The film hits movie theaters in select cities across the country on October 24th. In addition to his work on the "Noah's Arc" film, Polk also wrote and performs three tracks on the film's upcoming soundtrack album (Tommy Boy Music/Silver Label).
Polk's next feature film is "Blackbird", based on the novel by Larry Duplechan. This coming-of-age high school drama begins production in Polk's hometown of Hattiesburg, Mississippi (Nov. 17, 2008).- Visual Effects
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Sound Department
Matt Carter is known for In from the Side (2022), Jayson Bend: Queen and Country (2015) and Archive (2020).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
James Fanizza is an actor, writer and filmmaker from Toronto, Canada. He is a York University graduate and made his television debut in a commercial for NBC/Universal. His first feature film, an adaptation of his first short film Sebastian, is slated for release in 2017, and his previous films have screened in festivals around the world.- Director
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- Editor
François Ozon was born on 15 November 1967 in Paris, France. He is a director and writer, known for In the House (2012), 8 Women (2002) and Swimming Pool (2003).- Editor
- Actor
- Director
Kyle Reaume is a director, picture editor, and actor from Toronto, Canada, where he graduated from Toronto Film School with honors. His short film "Ecstasy" has screened at festivals in Toronto, Boston, Texas, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, Germany, and Mumbai. "What About Shelley" was funded by a grant awarded by the 2016 Toronto Inside Out BravoFact Pitch Competition. The short will make its world premiere at the Toronto Inside Out LGBT Film Festival in June, 2017.- Actor
- Director
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Matthew Risch was born on 20 August 1981 in Salem, Massachussets, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Sex and the City 2 (2010), Modern Family (2009) and How to Get Away with Murder (2014).- Actor
- Director
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Adrian Anchondo is known for How to Get Away with Murder (2014), NCIS: Los Angeles (2009) and Law & Order: Organized Crime (2021).- Producer
- Director
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Born in Estonia, Peeter has studied, worked and lived around the world, including USA and the UK. His directing portfolio includes feature films Firebird (2021), Sailing to Freedom (in development), documentaries Tashi Delek! (2015) and Robbie Williams: Fans Journey to Tallinn (BBC Worldwide, 2014) as well as numerous music videos including Moby's "Wait for Me" and Pet Shop Boys' "Together."
Peeter produced and directed the 22-camera concert film Robbie Williams: Live in Tallinn (2013). He has also produced the 2010 European Film Awards, the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest, and hundreds of shows in the Baltic region for various artists including Elton John, Bob Dylan, Madonna, Sting, Lady Gaga, Metallica, Queen, and others. In 2013, Peeter was named Entrepreneur of the Year in Estonia.
Peeter has been a jury member at various film festivals including Black Nights Film Festival and Cape Town International Film Festival.
He studied as an exchange student at Oxford and graduated from Harvard cum laude in economics, psychology and visual arts. After a career as a producer, he went on to study directing at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts and trained in acting for directors at Judith Weston's studio. Peeter has travelled the world, sailing around Cape Horn, crossing the Atlantic & Pacific four times, and hiking the mountains of Tibet. He has a global perspective and a passion for telling local human stories with a universal resonance.- Actor
- Producer
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Tom Prior is an exceptional talent in the realm of acting and filmmaking.
After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2012 he has brought his undeniable presence to notable films such as "The Theory of Everything," where he portrayed the role of Robert Hawking, the son of Eddie Redmayne's character. His performance in "Kingsman: The Secret Service" showcased his versatility and ability to play an action hero. He left a memorable mark on television audiences with his appearances in the British ITV series "Endeavour."
Tom Prior delivered an extraordinary lead performance in the highly acclaimed and multi-award winning film "Firebird" (2022)". Set against the backdrop of the Soviet Air Force during the Cold War, Tom's portrayal of love and connection in the face of adversity transcended the boundaries of traditional storytelling. His acting earned him a Breakout Performance nomination for the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA),
Through his multifaceted contributions to "Firebird," as co-writer, a producer and later the music supervisor, Tom showcased his ability to craft compelling narratives that has touched the hearts of audiences worldwide. Firebird secured numerous accolades at the 60+ international film festivals it played at.
His captivating performances on screen and stage are just a glimpse into his profound journey of self-discovery and his quest for truth and adventure.
With a newfound understanding of the inter-connectedness of body, mind, and spirit, Tom's acting talent has soared to new heights.
Tom's artistic expression continued to evolve as he took on the role of Private Love in "Blood on The Crown" (2022). Through his performances, he not only entertained audiences but also shed light on profound truths.
Even on London's prestigious West End stages, Tom's commitment to self-discovery and personal growth shone brightly. His magnetic presence in productions such as "Tory Boyz," "Prince of Denmark," and "Romeo & Juliet" captivated audiences and reflected his deep exploration of the human condition.
Tom's passion for Truth has led him beyond the realms of filmmaking and into the depths of meditation, the mysteries of quantum physics, and embarked on many transformative consciousness expanding experiences.
In his ongoing passion and curiosity, he actively shares his learnings which have been influenced by Shakespeare, Rumi, Rupert Spira, Eckhart Tolle, Mooji, Dr. Joe Dispenza and A Course In Miracles (ACIM).
Tom now coaches and speaks about these deep insights into reaching liberation from the limitations of the mind.
His quests have taken him to the far corners of the Earth including Rwanda, Uganda, Bhutan, Nepal, Brazil and Antarctica.- Producer
- Writer
- Editor
Cory Krueckeberg is a creative chameleon having written, produced, edited, designed and/ or directed for all of SPEAKproductions acclaimed films, which have won over 60 awards and screened at more than 300 film festivals around the world. As a writer his first feature, the cult-hit musical fantasy Were the World Mine, was chosen by The New York Times as Critics' Pick, calling it "Movie Musical Magic." His follow up screenplay, Mariachi Gringo, premiered as Miami Int'l Film Festival's Opening Night film and won the top prize at Guadalajara, Latin America's top film festival. About it, the New York Times proclaimed, "¡Hurra! Mariachi Gringo is right on pitch." And about his screen adaptation of celebrated Off-Broadway musical, Hello Again, The New York Times declared "The movie musical needs more ambitious creators like them." At the Cleveland International Film Festival, Cory was honored as "Someone to Watch" with a retrospective of his first five feature and short films, including Getting Go, an experimental hybrid of narrative, art film and documentary which Parade magazine called "the steamiest movie on Amazon Prime." Cory has a BFA from the Professional Actor Training Studio at the University of Illinois, is a member of Actor's Equity Association and once upon a time made a living acting on stages all across the country. He lives in Harlem with business and life partner, Tom Gustafson and their greyhound, Pippin.
Select film festivals include Tribeca, Chicago International, Woodstock, Raindance, Heartland, Cinequest, Frameline, Nashville, Florida, Rhode Island and Provincetown. Distributors include HBO, Netflix, Music Box Films, The Orchard, Cinelatino, Wolfe, Alphaville, Sony Music, Amazon Prime, Peccadillo, Pivot and Air Canada.- Actor
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Patrick Reilly is known for The Other Two (2019), Dating My Mother (2017) and Danny the Manny (2016).- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Jason Stuart is a prolific character actor & stand-up comic. Born in the Bronx and raised in the Fairfax district of Los Angeles, and now residing in Palm Springs and lives next door to his 85 year old Jewish mother Gloria, but does not live with her! Stuart is a self-described insecure Jewish kid who turned to theatre and performing to mask his emerging sexual identity. He confesses, "Barbra Streisand in "Funny Girl" saved my life". Streisand inspired him in such a deep way that was indescribable, and like many other gay men of a certain age...ironically found himself attracted to Omar Sharif. He has concurred type casting by playing "Joseph Randall" a heterosexual, Christian, plantation owner in 1831. A major supporting role in one of the most talked about films in recent history in "The Birth Of A Nation" from filmmaker Nate Parker. The drama reflected the prejudice he's fought against his entire life and gave him the kinda confidence that he has today. Stuart, a LGBTQ rights advocate through his subtle characterizations, reflects his enlightenment to his life's calling by combining his humanitarian beliefs with his mastery of the craft of acting. As a teenager he played Santa Claus in a play. Wearing a fat suit afforded him the insight that being a Jewish and closeted gay teenager was like wearing a Santa fat suit. Being a huge fan of "I Love Lucy," Stuart saw Ms. Ball got the biggest laughs when she was pregnant. He realized the key to great acting is doing the unexpected, and performed the role as if he was "Lucy" pregnant! A formula that's worked for him, and he hasn't looked back since.
Hollywood began to take notice by casting him in films like "Kindergarten Cop," "Vegas Vacation," and TV shows like "The Closer" and "My Wife & Kids." Frustrated by years of living in the closet, Jason chose to come out publicly on an infamous episode of Geraldo Rivera focused on "Unconventional Comedians." He went on to guesting on shows as "Goliath" opposite JK Simons, "Love" from comedy guru Judd Apatow, and indie films like "Tangerine" from filmmaker Sean Baker and "Love is Strange" opposite John Lithgow and Alfred Molina. But Stuart hit comedy gold with his co-star & co-creator Mitch Hara for their Amazon comedy series "Smothered" for which won the Indie Series Awards for Best Actor In A Comedy, which lead to a wave of interest for Stuart & Hara as "Content Creators", hitting a nerve in the zeitgeist and giving his them new material, energy, and a purpose. Their motto is "we do not wait for permission to create". They are now in post production on season 2 which will drop in the fall.
These days, Jason keeps his comedy chops polished through stand-up gigs all over the country with his recent comedy album "I'm The Daddy And I Have Candy" that's been featured on Sirius XM radio. Jason's also an in demand speaker on diversity in the workplace with his autobiography "Shut Up, I'm Talking!". In addition, he serves as the National Co-Chairman of the Sag-Aftra Lgbtq Committee, which he co-created in 2004. He's also recently completed a number of projects that are streaming with diverse roles such as the thriller "Immortal" opposite Sam Levine & starring Dylan Baker & Tony Todd, the action film "Abducted" on Showtime (playing detectives in both) and a starring role in the indie drama "Hank" from director Hongyu "Neo" Li, about a couple who consider an open relationship, which continues to earn high praise at numerous festivals, including winning the Best LGBTQ Short at The Los Angeles International Film Festival and was also nominated for Best Actor at the Glendale International Film Festival.
Stuart, one of the busiest and respected actors & stand-up comic's, always remembers the genius of Lucille Ball and the words of Viola Davis, that "My dreams had to be bigger than my fears." Stuart keeps his eye on the big prize: A substantial role in a major Hollywood feature film. But always remembers where he came from "My Dad, who passed a 10 years ago, was a Jewish immigrant who always said to me (in a thick Polish accent, "When you go to the interview, wear a tie and show them you mean business". Stuart took that to mean, "Be your best self". And that's who he strives to be.- Producer
- Writer
- Music Department
Born November 9, 1965 in Indianapolis, Indiana, US as Ryan Patrick Murphy, he is an American writer, director, and producer, responsible for creating such hits as Nip/Tuck (2003), Glee (2009) and American Horror Story (2011). His mother, J. Andy Murphy, was a writer and communications worker and his father was a circulation director in the newspaper industry. He has one brother. He attended a Catholic school till the eighth grade and graduated from Warren Central High School. He went on to study journalism at the Indiana University Bloomington, where he was also a member of a vocal ensemble, and went on to intern in the style section of the The Washington Post in 1986. In 1990 he got into screenwriting, but only in 1999 was his first story produced: it was Popular (1999), a teen comedy show, which he co-created with Gina Matthews and which run for two seasons. In 2003 he created Nip/Tuck (2003), which brought him his first Emmy nomination. He won the award six years later, when in 2009 he directed the pilot of his hit series Glee (2009) which he co-created with Ian Brennan and Brad Falchuk. In 2011 he and Falchuk co-crated another highly popular series, American Horror Story (2011). in 2015 he was awarded the Award for Inspiration from amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. In 2018 Murphy signed a five-year $300 million development deal with Netflix. He is a pan equal opportunities activist, both through his movies and television projects which very often focus on the LGBTQ+ community, and as a creator of the Half Initiative, which aims at making Hollywood more inclusive for women and minorities. He's been married to photographer David Miller since 2012. They have three sons, Logan Phineas, Ford, and Griffin Sullivan.- Writer
- Producer
- Director
Michael Varrati was born on 29 August 1982 in Gallup, New Mexico, USA. He is a writer and producer, known for Christmas with You (2022), The Boulet Brothers' Dragula (2016) and The Wrong Stepmother (2019).- Producer
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- Director
Writer/Director/Producer/Actor/Stand-Up Comedian "Del Shores is a master of the Texas comedy." Los Angeles Times
Del Shores has written, directed and produced successfully across studio and independent film, network and cable television and regional and national touring theatre.
Shores' career took off with the play Daddy's Dyin' (Who's Got The Will?) in 1987, which ran two years, winning many Los Angeles theatre awards, including LA Weekly's Best Production and Best Writing. The play has subsequently been produced in over 2,500 theatres worldwide. A movie version of Daddy's Dyin' was released in 1990 by MGM starring Beau Bridges, Tess Harper, Judge Reinhold, Keith Carradine and Beverly D'Angelo. Shores wrote the screenplay and executive produced the film.
Sordid Lives, his fourth play, opened in Los Angeles in 1996 and ran 13 sold-out months. The play went on to win 14 Drama-Logue Theatre Awards, including three for Shores for wring, directing and producing. There have since been over 300 additional stage productions of the play.
In 1999, Shores wrote and directed the film version of Sordid Lives starring Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, Olivia Newton-John, Bonnie Bedelia, Leslie Jordan and Beth Grant along with most of the cast from the play. Opening in only eight theatres across the country, the little film that could took in nearly two million dollars in its limited release. The movie became a cult phenomenon and became the longest running film in the history of Palm Springs with a record ninety-six weeks.
The movie won many festival awards including Best Film at the New York Independent Film & Video Festival, Atlanta Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival, South Beach Film Festival, Memphis International Film Festival and the San Diego International Film Festival and won a total of thirteen "Audience Awards." In 2002 Twentieth Century Fox released the DVD/Video, which has now sold over 300,000 units.
His play Southern Baptist Sissies followed, and it enjoyed a ten-month sold-out run in Los Angeles in 2000. Revived in 2002, Sissies had another six month sold-out run. Shores received the LA Weekly, Robby and Maddy for Best Direction and the Backstage West Garland, Robby and Maddy for Best Writing. The play was also awarded the prestigious GLAAD Award for Outstanding Production of the Year.
In 2003, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife became Shores' most critically acclaimed play. After a six-month sold-out run in Los Angeles, Shores won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle's Ted Schmitt Award for Best World Premiere of an Outstanding New Play. The Circle also awarded the play Best Production and Best Lead Performance to Beth Grant. Trials also won five Back Stage West Garland Awards, two NAACP Awards, an LA Stage Alliance Ovation and three LA Weekly Awards.
In 2006, Shores revived three of his plays (Sordid Lives, Southern Baptist Sissies, The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife) in Los Angeles before taking to the road for a successful six city national tour, starring Delta Burke and Leslie Jordan, which played in 1000-1700 seat houses.
Sordid Lives: The Series, a television series prequel to the film, premiered on Viacom's LOGO network in 2008 starring Olivia Newton-John, Rue McClanahan, Leslie Jordan, Beth Grant, Caroline Rhea and many of the original stage and film cast. Shores created, wrote, directed and executive produced all twelve episodes. The series became LOGO's biggest hit to date, and was distributed internationally through IMG worldwide in syndication in seventeen countries.
In addition to Sordid Lives: The Series, in television Shores has written and produced for many shows including Dharma and Greg and the last three seasons of the ground-breaking Showtime series Queer as Folk. He also wrote, directed and produced the Showtime movie The Wilde Girls, starring Olivia Newton-John and Swoosie Kurtz.
In 2009, Shores hit the road and played 34 cities to sold-out houses with his one-man show Del Shores: My Sordid Life. The DVD was filmed and released in 2012 by Breaking Glass Pictures. He also performed stand-up with various Sordid Lives stars including Rue McClanahan, Caroline Rhea and Leslie Jordan in A Sordid Affair, playing large theatres in Dallas, Atlanta, Ft. Lauderdale and Raleigh as well as four nights at Comix in New York City.
The world premiere of Shores' newest play, Yellow, opened June 11, 2010 to rave reviews and ran six sold-out months. Yellow followed in the unmatched footsteps of Shores' six previous world premiere productions that have run collectively for over eight years and won over one hundred Los Angeles theatre awards. The production swept various Los Angeles theatre awards including Best World Premiere, Best Production, Best Direction for Del Shores himself (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, Backstage Garland, LA Weekly, Broadway World.) The play became Shores' seventh Samuel French published play and just played to sold-out houses for Uptown Players in Dallas at the historic Kalita Humpheys. He also directed the Dallas production.
Shores wrote, directed and produced the film version of his play The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife with the entire original stage cast: Beth Grant (Sordid Lives, Little Miss Sunshine, No Country For Old Men) Octavia Spencer (Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG Award Winner "Minnie" in The Help), Dale Dickey (Spirit Award Winner, Best Supporting Actress Winter's Bone), David Steen (Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained) and top 10 Billboard dance artist Debby Holiday. The film adaption is entitled Blues For Willadean and was released in select theatres in late 2012. It is now available on iTunes and other pay per view services.
In the summer of 2011, Shores took to the road again, selling out his new stand-up show Del Shores: Sordid Confessions in 40 cities. Shores returned to his home state of Texas in January of 2012 to film the show at the famous Rose Room in Dallas. Breaking Glass Pictures released the DVD to rave reviews. His stand-up career continued to explode and he launched his third national tour in 2012 with Del Shores: Naked.Sordid.Reality which he performed over fifty times then was filmed The Rose Room. His fourth stand-up tour Del Sores: SINgularly Sordid addresses his abrupt single life in his fifties, along with more stories, political rants and his signatory P.S. F.U. letters.
Shores film of his play Southern Baptist Sissies stormed the film festival circuit in 2013 and won ten major awards, including many for Shores. The film stars Emerson Collins, Willam Belli, Matthew Scott Montgomery, Luke Stratte-McClure, Newell Alexander, Rosemary Alexander, Bobbie Eakes, Ann Walker, Dale Dickey and Leslie Jordan.
Shores returned to acting in 2013, co-starring in the independent feature Cry.
Shores final chapter of his Sordid Lives franchise - A Very Sordid Wedding gained rave reviews, has a 83% Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes and a 96% Audience Score. The film sold out in most cities where it opened, and is now available on DVD/BluRay/VOD/iTunes and most other platforms. It was Gravitas Ventures #1 selling title of 2017 and was Amazon's #1 LGBT title for fifteen weeks. The film stars many of the Sordid veterans including Bonnie Bedelia, Leslie Jordan, Caroline Rhea, Dale Dickey and Ann Walker with cameos by Whoopi Goldberg, Alec Mapa and Carole Cook. The story advances the characters seventeen years, posing the question: What happens when marriage equality comes marching into Winters, Texas." The film had its world premiere in Palm Springs March 10, 2017 and won nine film festival awards.
In 2018, Shores returned to the stage, performing his new one-man play Six Characters In Search Of A Play and toured the country to rave reviews.
Del is represented by Cindy Mintz at The Kaplan-Stahler Agency as a writer-director, by Linda McAlister Talent as an actor and is managed by Michael Warwick for personal appearances. His publisher for all of his plays is Samuel French, Inc. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: DelShores and visit his fan page at facebook: delshoresfanclub.- Actor
- Producer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
J.M. (Jose Maria) Longoria III is a writer, producer, and Imagen Award-nominated actor. He was born and raised in the small town of La Grulla, Texas. J.M. attended Rio Grande City High School where he graduated Valedictorian of his senior class. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a B.F.A. in Design and Certification in Business Administration, J.M. moved to Los Angeles to attended The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and began his acting career.
J.M.'s acting credits include Apple TV+'s "Loot", HBO Max's "Hacks", Sony Pictures feature film "Miracles From Heaven", ABC's "General Hospital", "The Fix", and "The Real O'Neals" among others. He was also the series producer of El Rey Network's "Bushido Battleground", a 20-episode mixed martial arts docuseries shot in Thailand, Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. This series was executive produced by renown filmmaker, Robert Rodriguez.
Most recently, J.M. co-wrote, produced, and starred in a LGBTQ-themed short film entitled "Bibi" alongside Oscar nominated actress, Adriana Barraza, and actor Omar Leyva. The short film is inspired by J.M.'s real-life relationship with his father growing up in South Texas. Along with its film festival run, "Bibi" will also be distributed by national civil rights organization Southern Poverty Law Center as part of their "Teaching Tolerance" program in 2020. SPLC will create curriculum and use the short film as an educational tool available to over 500,000 educators across America.
A passionate humanitarian, J.M. found a new cause to champion after working on the award-winning telenovela webseries "Sin Vergüenza". He became an advocate and ambassador for AltaMed Health Services. Among his duties is raising awareness about HIV prevention and educating the Latino community about AIDS resources. Additionally, J.M. served as a board member for several years of the oldest and most respected Latino arts nonprofit organization, Nosotros. Nosotros was founded by the late actor Ricardo Montalbán in order to develop, support, and spotlight Latinos in the entertainment industry.- Actor
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Leon Lopez was born on 30 August 1979 in Liverpool, England, UK. He is an actor and director, known for Brookside (1982), EastEnders (1985) and Soft Lad (2015).- Actor
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EMMY Award winning actor-producer David Millbern first emerged as a child actor in such iconic commercials as McDonald's "Glasses to Go" and was the smile behind their "Sundae Smile" campaign, among many others.
By 17, David had already studied and worked with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio in NYC. After graduating from Northwestern University, a contract role playing 'Lance Hirt' on ABC's General Hospital brought him to L.A. David's first film was a lead in Roger Corman's "The Slumber Party Massacre", which became a cult favorite. Next was a lead in "Sorceress" also for Corman and when honored by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences a few years ago, Corman mentioned his fondness for David's work in both films. More feature film roles followed including Sir Ian McKellen's doctor in the Oscar winning "Gods And Monsters", Mariel Hemingway's captor in "In Her Line Of Fire", and Alfred Molina's match in "Texas Rangers". David also starred along with the late Irrfan Khan in "Bokshu, the Myth" shot in India.
MOWs include leads in Past Obsessions, An Accidental Christmas, Fatal Reunion for Lifetime; Christmas Do-Over, I'll Remember April, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus for Freeform; and Ice Spiders, Chupacabra: Dark Seas for SYFY. David starred in Amanda and the Alien for Showtime, and Error in Judgment and Sanctimony, both for HBO. David created the voice of 'Lt. Louie Nichols' in the award-winning animated series Robotech.
After receiving his first EMMY nomination for producing The Ribbon of Hope Celebration along with the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, David dove head first into his love of storytelling by becoming an actor-producer hyphenate. David produced the female thriller feature, "The Nurse" and the comedic parody, "Hush Up Sweet Charlotte". He also produced the sit-com, From here! on OUT, starring EMMY winner Juliet Mills and received his second EMMY nomination for the feature documentary, "A Long Road to Freedom: The Advocate Celebrates 50 Years", narrated by Laverne Cox. David created and was the host of the game show Modd Couples on Hulu and wrote and directed the series Falling for Angels and Now What?!, both for Here TV. He produces Food Fetish, Behind the Bar and Girls' Voices Now, for which he won the Daytime EMMY Award this year for Outstanding Short Form Children's Programing. David has also received the prestigious Sabre Award and is the first recipient of the OTTX Impact Award for his social justice work.- Director
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Amos Guttman was born on 10 May 1954 in Transilvania, Romania. He was a director and writer, known for Amazing Grace (1992), Drifting (1982) and Bar 51 (1986). He died on 16 February 1993 in Tel Aviv, Israel.- Actor
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Jesse LaVercombe is an award-winning Canadian-American writer and actor based in Los Angeles.
As a writer, he worked on two 2024 studio feature films, Float (Lionsgate/Collective Pictures) Code 8: Part ll (Netflix/Collective Pictures), which hit #1 on Netflix in 71 countries. In 2023, his play Gilgamesh (with Seth Bockley and Ahmed Moneka, starring Jesse and Ahmed, and featuring the band Moneka Arabic Jazz) ran at the Jungle Theater in Minneapolis, the Under the Radar Festival in New York City, and Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto. Previously, he won the Playwrights Guild of Canada RBC Emerging Playwright Award, toured two solo shows in the U.S. and Canada, wrote and starred in the short film, "The Things You Think I'm Thinking" (Vimeo Staff Pick, 12 festival awards), and has written a range of other shorts, plays, musicals/opera and articles.
As an actor, he won the Toronto ACTRA Award and received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for his work in Violation (Sundance, TIFF, New York Times Critics' Pick) and is also known for portraying Jack Walker for four seasons on Murdoch Mysteries (CBC). He's performed in theaters across the U.S. and Canada, including playing Heisenberg in Copenhagen at the National Arts Centre, and in new plays by writers including Sarah Ruhl, Lauren Gunderson, and Hannah Moscovitch. Training: National Theatre School of Canada, Canadian Film Centre Actors Conservatory.- Actor
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Leon Wadham was born in 1989 in Wellington, New Zealand. He is an actor and writer, known for School Night (2014), Moving (2016) and Blankets (2013).- Actor
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In 2023, Mr. Domingo was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play as a producer for the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham. Colman won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor Drama for his role as Ali in the HBO series Euphoria. Domingo has been honored with the inaugural Denver Film CinemaQ-LaBahn Ikon Film Award, the National Hispanic Media Coalition Impact Award, the Creative Coalition Television Humanitarian Award and the Atlanta's Out On Film Icon Award. Colman Domingo stars in the Netflix, Higher Ground film Rustin as Bayard Rustin slated for the fall of 2023. He also stars as Mister in the Warner Brothers, Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg produced The Color Purple musical motion picture. A two time Film Independent Spirit, Gotham, SAG, Critics Choice and NAACP award nominee, he won a Hollywood Critics Association Award for Best Actor in a Limited Series/Anthology and an Imagen Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama for his work in Euphoria. Domingo is a Tony®, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League and NAACP Theatre Award nominated, OBIE and Lucille Lortel Award winning actor, playwright, director and producer. Colman received his Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from Ursinus College. He is on the faculty of University of Southern California, School of Dramatic Arts as a Professor of acting, after having served as a Juilliard School Creative Associate and a faculty member of the Yale School of Drama. Colman has starred in some of the most profound films in recent years such as Barry Jenkins' If Beale Street Could Talk, Steven Spielbergs' Lincoln, Lee Daniel's The Butler, Ava DuVernay's Selma, Nia DaCosta's Candyman and Janicza Bravo's Zola.- Actor
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Daniel Robison is known for Closet Space (2013), Stealing Pulp Fiction and Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street (2019).